


Legends Never Die

by Anonymous



Series: nonny's mcyt works for you <3 [1]
Category: Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Apocalypse, BAMF Niki, Family Dynamics, Fluff, Gen, Hybrids, No Romance, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post-Apocalypse, Ram Hybrid Tommy, Survival, Telepathic Bond, niki is pretty much tommys mom, no beta we die like men, not finished lol, she adopts him
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-07
Updated: 2020-12-03
Packaged: 2021-03-09 01:07:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,112
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27426205
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: Sharp eyes traced the horizon of a charred city skyline as the sun rose up into the sky. A young woman sat perched on the roof of an old corner store, enjoying one of the far and few moments of silence that had come upon her. Although she was alone, the city never seemed empty. It wasn’t empty.OrNiki is a survivor in a post-apocalyptic world, residing on the outskirts of one of the only cities left partially populated by humans. A well-known sniper and monster hunter living in a time where some humans have mutated into animal hybrids, Niki is just trying to make it until tomorrow. She's lost all contact with her loved ones from Before, but, a new one is about to throw their way into her life.
Relationships: ALL PLATONIC, Dave | Technoblade & TommyInnit, Jschlatt & Minx | JustAMinx & Wilbur Soot, Jschlatt & Minx | JustAMinx (Video Blogging RPF), Niki | Nihachu & TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Niki | Nihachu & Wilbur Soot, none you idiots
Series: nonny's mcyt works for you <3 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2063262
Comments: 32
Kudos: 251
Collections: Anonymous





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey y'all! I really hope you enjoy this AU that popped into my brain! If you do enjoy, feel free to leave a comment.
> 
> DISCLAIMER:
> 
> If anyone mentioned in this fanfiction comes out and states that they are uncomfortable with anything mentioned in this work I will immediately take it down. Much love <3

Sharp eyes traced the horizon of a charred city skyline as the sun rose up into the sky. A young woman sat perched on the roof of an old corner store, enjoying one of the far and few moments of silence that had come upon her. Although she was alone, the city never seemed empty. It wasn’t empty.

Although she’d practically grown up in the strange landscape that was the city infested with mutant beings, she remembered what life was like before. When she was younger she had gone to school, eaten out with her mother, sat out in the sun without a care in the world. Now, she was an adult, sat outside in multiple layers and a mask to filter out the dusty, polluted air that surrounded her. Ever since she’d been separated from her family and friends during the disaster, she’d learned quite a bit. She knew how to loot and ration and treat her own wounds. After years of practicing, she could shoot like a pro. And, though it may have seemed superficial in the post-apocalyptic setting, she knew how to cut her own hair; keeping a pair of scissors in her backpack for whenever she could find a mirror. Monsters, aggressive mutants, could grab hair longer than shoulder length. She had learned that the hard way.

Sometimes, in moments like this, she wondered what her loved ones would think of her now. She knew how she looked, how she was Before. Before, she’d been the shy one of the friend group. She was the quiet, gentle, intelligent girl who was willing to help anybody with their homework. Her mother was always scared for her, worried somebody would come along and take advantage of her kindness. The way she wore her heart on her sleeve made her seem vulnerable. She was... Well, she was Niki.

Now... Now, she’s still Niki. She still has her sleek black backpack that she used for track, only now it was used to store the essentials to her survival. She’s the same Niki, just with the added bonus of a sniper rifle slung across her chest and a knife holster on her thigh. As opposed to Before, people knew her now. Maybe not by name, but her presence was well known in the city. Niki wasn’t one for having her own territory, unlike Technoblade or Dream, she earned her respect through her silent power. People knew her. People saw her. They feared her, even.

Slipping her backpack on and adjusting her rifle (which she’d taken to calling Michelle) across her front, Niki brushed non-existent debris off of her cargo pants before making her way down to the cracked sidewalk below. Although nobody was around to see, a small smile was spread across the woman’s face, hidden behind her mask. And if anyone did happen to be around, they didn’t need to know that Niki had found brand new, warm, fuzzy socks yesterday. They didn’t need to know that even as the woman tugged on her skin tight gloves, a bit worn around her trigger finger, she was wearing those brand new socks. They had no idea that the socks with bright patterns and colors that were almost vacant from the rest of the city elevated Niki’s mood a stupidly large amount.

Stepping around a suspiciously large pothole in the ground, Niki made her way further into the city. The woman tended to spend most of her time towards the center of the city, after all, that’s where the action was. In the center of the city was where most of the newbies flocked to when they arrived, Niki had no clue why. Overrun with monsters and covered in graffiti, the center was where all the big names of the area resided. Niki, although she spent her days hunting and gathering there, didn’t live in the center. She didn’t need that target on her back.

After scaling a fire stairwell, Niki scouted out a building that seemed to have resources left behind inside. Readying her knife, she hid herself in the shadows, cautiously making her way to the back entrance of the building before stepping in as silently as she could. The loot wasn’t as good as she had hoped, but she managed to score a few bags of dried meats and some trail mix that hadn’t expired. Just as she was about to leave, the blonde noticed a doorway other than the one that she’d entered through. Hidden behind a shelf and a section of fallen drywall, there was a basement door.

Shoving a packet of trail mix into one of her pockets, Niki made her way over to the door. Although it was shut tight, a well executed shove got the door to swing open, revealing a small open space with a set of stairs leading downwards. Deciding it was best to close the door behind her, Niki pulled out a flashlight, illuminating the room in artificial white light. Taking a deep breath, the woman made her way down the stairs, flinching slightly at the echo of her footsteps. Stopping for only a second, Niki pulled down the hem of her sweatshirt and centered herself, appreciating the quiet of the hidden staircase. The only problem was, the staircase wasn’t quiet.

Straining to hear, a soft sob catches Niki’s attention. Normally, considering she was pretty much cornered, the masked woman would make a run for it, but as she heard another cry, she realized something. 

Those were the cries of a child.

Moving faster downwards, Niki found herself faced with another door, which she opened quickly. Shining her flashlight around the room, she found herself face to face with a small, blond boy who looked no more than 3 years old. She stood there for a moment, stunned and confused as to why someone would leave their toddler alone in such a place. Then she saw it.

Horns.

The small child had a mutation, tiny horns starting to grow on the boy’s head.  _ Poor thing, _ Niki thought sadly,  _ Completely abandoned because of something he can’t control. _ Slowly, the woman pulled down her mask and discarded her rifle by the door, making her way over to the toddler. Even after seeing her, the child didn’t make any attempt to move away, which Niki took as a good sign. Tear-filled eyes met her own as she knelt down in front of the child.

“Hello,” she greeted softly, as to not scare the kid, “My name’s Niki, what’s yours?” There was a moment of silence.

The child shifted to sit back on his feet, “Mama?” The confused boy questioned, looking into Niki’s eyes.

Taken aback, Niki stuttered out a reply, “No, no, I’m not--” She never got to finish her sentence, getting the wind knocked out of her by a tiny child catapulting himself into her chest.

“Mama!” The little boy exclaims, nuzzling his face into her shoulder.

Trying her best to stay calm, Niki thought back to everything she had ever read about baby animals. Why was this child hugging her, of all people, like his life depended on it? Didn’t animals imprint on their mothers and not random 19-year-olds in dark basements?  _ Wait, _ she thought.

Then, it made a bit more sense. The poor kid’s horns were just coming in, meaning his hybrid instincts probably were too. And, oh God, she’d just walked up to this abandoned hybrid child. Of course it’d imprint on her. Just her luck. But, while she might not have had the best of luck, Niki wasn’t cruel. She wasn’t going to abandon this kid, she couldn’t.

“Honey,” She started once again, “What’s your name?”

The happy, slightly muffled voice of the child responded with an energetic “Tommy!” soon after followed by a fit of giggles as Niki shifted the boy onto her left hip as she stood up.

“Alright, Tommy. Do you wanna go outside?” The older asked in the kindest tone she could manage. If she was being honest, it had been a while since she’d spoken to someone who wasn’t an immediate threat to her survival.

“Yeah!” the boy responded animatedly, bringing his head up to look at Niki, “Outside! Outside!”

“Okay, we’ll go outside, but you need a mask like mine to keep yourself safe,” Niki replied, pulling a bandana out of her bag’s pocket. It’d work until she could get Tommy an actual mask.

Setting the boy down for a moment, she tied the cloth around his nose and mouth, positioning it so it wouldn’t irritate his developing ram ears. As she moved to the door to collect her sniper rifle, she found herself stopped by a certain clingy toddler attached to her leg. It was obvious that he wasn’t going to walk home, so the blonde lifted the boy back up, checking the safety on her gun as she positioned it as far from Tommy as she could. The boy leaned his head against her shoulder, obviously exhausted after his crying episode earlier.

Making her way out of the building was a bit difficult with a dozing toddler clinging to her, but Niki managed. The trek to the top of the stairs was tiring, but the little mumbles of child gibberish reminded her of the end goal. Taking a deep breath, she set her shoulders and stuck to the shadows, making her way back to where she had been staying for the past 3 or so years.

When she finally reached the outskirts of the city, Niki let out a sigh of relief. Making her way to the old church at the end of the street, she fished her key out of her pocket. Walking around the back, she gently woke up the sleeping boy in her arms, much to his dismay. After setting him on the ground, the woman opened the underground metal doors that lead to an old fallout shelter.

Once inside, Niki set the small hybrid down on her bed (mattress covered in a too-big fitted sheet with multiple pillows, comforters, and blankets on top), brushing his hair out of his eyes and untying his bandana. The shelter was about the size of a classroom, with two mismatched shelving units pushed up against the left wall next to an old-looking wardrobe. The opposite side of the room had Niki’s bed in the corner, the right wall covered in old posters and adverts from Before. A medium sized dining table stood in the middle of the room, a large tin wash basin with towels, soaps and detergents was stored underneath it. 

Niki threw her mask and Tommy’s bandana in the basket by the entrance, which was neatly labelled  _ ‘To Be Washed :)’. _ Moving to light the lantern on the dining table, the older realized how cold the kid must have been without long sleeves. Glancing over to him, she realized that he was indeed shivering. As Niki started to become lost in her thoughts, Tommy’s eyes met hers and her heart immediately melted. 

“Do you want something with long sleeves until we can get you new clothes?” She asked the boy as he looked up at her from the bed.

After receiving a tired nod, she moved to the wardrobe that she kept her spare clothes in. Picking out the smallest hoodie that she had, Niki helped Tommy fit his arms into the sleeves. The clothing was too large on him by far, but it was the best they could do until the morning came. After storing away the food from her bag onto the shelves, she measured out a serving of nut mix for both her and Tommy. Grabbing them each a granola bar and a glass of clean water from the dispenser she was lucky enough to have found in an abandoned locker room, Niki sat down on the bed next to the small hybrid and started to eat. She made sure to offer Tommy a bit extra, the poor boy looked awfully malnourished.

Evidently, this was the right move. After only a few minutes, Tommy was finished with his nut mix and had moved onto the granola bar.

“Mama,” Tommy pulled on Niki’s sleeve, “Help me?”

Niki, of course, wouldn’t refuse, “What do you say first?”  _ Gosh, she sounded like her mother. _

Tommy sighed, “Please?”

“Of course, Tommy,” Niki said, taking the food out of the toddler’s grip and opening it for him. “Don’t eat too fast, or you’ll make yourself sick,” she warned.

“I won’t!” Tommy responded.

As the moon rose above the city, Niki was no longer just “Before Niki” or “Survivor Niki.” For a moment, she was free from the hellscape of the city. Right now, she was just a person with a hybrid kid fast asleep in her home. As the hostile mutants came out to roam in the darkness, she slept a little less fitfully than usual.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heya!! Hope y’all enjoy the chapter! I’m hoping there aren’t any issues with formatting since I’m posting this from my phone but I guess we’ll see. I love love love comments so please tell me what you think! <3

It was late afternoon by the time Niki had gotten Tommy out to the abandoned clothes shop towards the outside of the city. She had managed to tailor some of her older masks to fit his face, but also planned on looking for more fabric in order to make him some from scratch. Now, the young woman sat on the counter next to the cash register as she watched her newly acquired son ogle over a pillow covered in color-changing sequins.

“Tommy,” she called softly, not wanting to startle the kid, “let’s start getting you some clothes, huh?” Before the boy could protest, she added, “We can come back for the pillow if you behave.”

Fast-forward 15 minutes and Niki is stood behind Tommy as he looks at the different pairs of shoes and pants available to him. Unsurprisingly, there’s quite a selection to choose from, considering there weren’t many toddlers wandering around nowadays. A few shirts and sweaters were already hung over Niki’s arm, and as Tommy handed her his picks of the pants and shoes she shifted to take off her backpack.

Once the clothes were packed safely inside of their bag and Tommy was occupied with the task of carrying his new shoes back home, the pair made their way over to the music section of the store. Niki had her guitar from Before stored safely beside her bed back at home, but it was always fun to pay a visit to a piano every once in and awhile.

After she helped him up onto the bench, Niki began guiding Tommy through a few basic chords. The boy was a quick learner, picking up the information and playing alongside his elder. However, the fragile glass that was their moment together was shattered when Niki spotted a flash of movement out of the corner of her eye. Quickly, the blonde pulled her handgun out of her waistband, the safety off and her aim steady as ever as she stood in front of Tommy. 

Dark brown eyes widened as they met her own, their owner letting out a soft whisper, “Niki?”

“Wil?” Niki responded quietly, equally as shocked, “What are you doing here?”

“I could ask you the same thing,” Wilbur said, “I thought you were dead.”

Niki relaxed her stance a bit, lowering her gun, “I am very much alive, don’t worry,” she laughed as she turned the safety back on and stuffed her gun away. “So,” she started, “what’ve you been up to these days?”

“Not a whole lot,” the man sighed, sitting himself down on another piano bench, “I really just help the other Sleepy Boys, y’know?”

“Sleepy Boys?” Niki enquired, her body language closed off and her tone blunt, “As in the group running more than a third of the entire city?”

Wilbur nodded, shifting a bit as he looked around, “The very same, I assume you know the others, then?” 

Niki nodded stiffly, moving to sit back down on the bench she and Tommy had occupied before. “We’ve met.” 

Evidently, that very moment was when a certain toddler decided he was bored of hiding behind the shelf he’d managed to sneak behind. 

“Mama!” He squealed upon seeing the blonde, “When are we gonna go home?” Tommy asked, climbing into Niki’s lap and making himself comfortable. He immediately relaxed into the woman’s embrace, humming happily when she automatically started carding her hands through his hair. Niki had fallen into the role of a mother relatively easily after realizing how important she now was to Tommy, trying her hardest to provide comfort to the small hybrid whenever he needed it. 

“I don’t know,” she replied softly, her tone a stark difference compared to when she spoke to Wilbur, “is there something wrong?”

Tommy whined quietly, suddenly on the verge of tears, “Head hurts,” he mumbled into her shoulder as Niki held him closer to her.

The woman made brief eye contact with Wilbur, mouthing a quick  _ ‘one moment’ _ before turning her attention back to her son. “Is it your horns or a headache?” she asked in a whisper, as if to prevent the man across the room from hearing them.

“Horns,” the boy said quietly, a few tears leaking out of his eyes.

“Alright,” Niki said quickly, moving to open her bag, “I brought you some Tylenol, you only need a little bit to help with the pain, okay?” She had read about how hybrids with horns had chronic migraines during the development stage, so she’d been sure to pack the pain meds for Tommy.

“So,” Wilbur cleared his throat quickly, “who’s this?”

“Oh,” Niki started, “this is Tommy.” She gave Tommy his required dosage and packed up again swiftly. The expression on her face had hardened quickly, staring Wilbur down. Wilbur, who was a very real threat to not only her but also her kid. 

“Is he—“

“No. He’s adopted.”

“Okay, anyway,” Wilbur continued, “now that we’ve found each other, I need you to know that I still trust you. I care about you, Niki. You’re one of the best friends I’ve ever had.”

“What does this have to do with anything?”

“Niki, you have to leave the city,” Wilbur said, “there’s going to be a meltdown in one of the power plants and I’m sure as Hell not sticking around for it.”

Skeptical, Niki replied, “How do you know?”

“Phil. He’s been monitoring the city for any danger since the very beginning of this whole apocalypse thing.” He shook his hair out of his face, “We have about a week of guaranteed time left.”

“How will we get out?” Niki asked, holding Tommy close.

Wilbur sighed, “Cars would be ideal, but they won’t last. Techno managed to find horses a ways away from the city, we’ll be using them.”

The blonde woman ran a hand through her hair, contemplating her choices. She and Tommy would be safe in their home, but there would be nothing left after the panic and looting of the meltdown. She knew that Wilbur, the Wilbur she knew Before, would never hurt her.

“Fine,” she said. Wilbur reached out his hand... and Niki shook it.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How's it going? Nice to be here again, I must say. Anywayyyyyyyy, enjoy this new chapter!!! I had this moment of "holy shit dream duo" and had to start writing. Please please please please leave comments, they make me super happy :D  
> Again, enjoy!! <3

The world was strange, really. It tended to bring the oddest of pairs together; the pairs nobody thought would ever work. But, sometimes, that’s what made these duos incredibly effective in whichever endeavor they intended to pursue.

One such duo tended to keep to the shadows, despite being showmen at heart. However, they had shown their true colors in the final few days they had in the city, breaking the carefully crafted illusion they had managed to create over their time working together in the public eye. It was simple, their associates believed that they hated each other.

For the past year in which they had been working in partnership with Sleepy Boys Inc., they had a plan. They would pretend they hated each other. They would push each other in a cut-throat rivalry that they knew their higher-ups wouldn’t be able to resist exploiting. And, if all went well, they would climb the ranks together. And, once they reached the top, they would be unstoppable.

The meltdown stopped their plan in its tracks, so why not create some havoc before leaving? What stops one from going out with a bang?

In the apocalypse, there was a simple answer. Jack shit.

And so, that’s how they managed to make a scene. It was perfect. The duo was ready to run, survival packs ready for pick up next to the horses they had stolen from the same field that the Sleepy Boys used. With guns strapped across their backs and gas masks firmly on their faces, they looked like the poster children of "what the fuck." They were going out with a bang for sure, dressing up in their finest suits to lace the monster-infested sidewalks with TNT.

That’s how the stage was set, a man and a woman, both barely into their 20s, dressed in black suits. The woman’s soft pink hair curled down her back, the man’s brown hair had been slicked back. They looked almost like brother and sister, with their matching smirks and cunning minds. Twin sets of twisted horns sprouted from their heads, their shadows looking like bad omens plastered on the brick walls.

Both of the hybrids held themselves confidently, readying the detonator before them. The woman, Minx, brushed her hair out of her face for what felt like the millionth time as her partner laughed at her. Once she had spit out the hair in her mouth, the pink-haired woman kicked him in the thighs.

“Minx!” He shouted in mock-anger, “What the hell?”

“You were being an asshole,” she replied.

“Sure.”

“Would you like to do the honors, Schlatt?” Minx asked as she finished the final touches, handing the detonator to the man opposite her.

A grin bloomed on the hybrid’s face, “I thought you would never ask.” 

Minx knew this, it was how the pair were always so in sync, scarily so. Schlatt liked to call it  _ “weird hybrid shit,” _ but Minx had decided to give it a less juvenile name. She decided on just calling it their  _ “mind link.” _ The name was straightforward and to the point, explaining exactly what one needed to know. Their minds had linked together after the whole “hybrid thing” happened. 

Minx had noticed it after she and Schlatt had met up at the very beginning of the After years. Both of them had started to grow horns about a week prior and had been booted from their groups out of fear that they were turning into one of the hostile monsters that wandered the streets. Once they started talking, they just seemed to click. It wasn't like when they had occasionally spoken in high school. Now, when Schlatt felt nervous or sad, Minx  _ just knew.  _

Of course, they clicked much more than they originally thought. One night, Minx had been ambushed in an alley by a giant spider. Cornered, she had yelled out for Schlatt in her mind, and miraculously, the then-teenager found her. The pair had figured out that they could talk to each other telepathically, training and testing non-stop in order to perfect it. Schlatt had his own theories about being the same species of hybrid and familial bonding and  _ blah blah blah. _

Whatever, it was cool as fuck.

Now, as they prepared themselves to run, Minx sent Schlatt her own feelings of hopefulness. And finally, after all their hard work, he pressed the button the two of them had covered in scented stickers from the corner store, and the streets blew.

_ ‘RUN, FUCKER, RUN!’  _ Schlatt yelled in Minx’s mind, and they sprinted as fast as they could.

Crossing the street, Minx spotted the flash of a familiar head of curly brown hair. Wilbur, and presumably the rest of the Sleepy Boys, were leaving too. The two ram hybrids ran to their horses, swinging themselves up and starting the final stretch of the journey out of the city.

As they neared the furthest outskirts of the city, Schlatt was the one to spot them. The Sleepy Boys and… Someone else. It didn’t matter.

_ ‘Should we try to avoid them?’  _ Minx asked.

Schlatt shook his head,  _ ‘Too late. They’ve spotted us.’ _

_ ‘We aren’t exactly hard to miss,’  _ she responded.

As they neared the group, Minx strained to see who the extra guest speaking to Wilbur was. 

_ ‘Oh my god, that’s Niki,’  _ Schlatt said, awestruck.  _ ‘That’s a kid with her, too.’ _

“Holy shit, you’re right,” the other said aloud as they willed their horses to slow. Once they were within hearing range of the other group, Minx shouted, “Well, it’s fancy meeting you here, don’t you think?” 

“Oh, fuck off!” Wilbur responded, earning him a slap on the back of his head from the blonde woman next to him.

“I swear if Tommy picks up this type of language from you I will shoot you.”

Schlatt shot a glance over his gas mask to his partner,  _ ‘Well, that’s definitely Niki.’ _

Minx rolled her eyes,  _ ‘No shit, Sherlock.’ _

“Niki, geez, don’t be so harsh on the man. I’m sure he’s trying his absolute best.”

Niki whirled around with wide eyes, “Schlatt?” She then turned to the other, “Minx?”

“The very same,” the pink-haired woman laughed. Of course Niki would recognize them, even after all these years. “Cute kid.”

The blonde smiled, “Thanks, he’s a bit out of it right now, but he’s a sweetheart.”

Schlatt hummed in understanding, “It’s rough, growing the horns.”

“So,” Niki started, “Where are you guys headed to?”

“I mean, we don’t really have a plan past now,” Schlatt said as Minx cackled in his head, “Oh, shut up, Minx.”

“Well, if it’s okay with the others, you could probably come with us,” Niki offered with a smile.

_ ‘Don’t be an asshole,’  _ Minx thought, shooting Schlatt a look.

“That would be wonderful, Niki,” he replied, uncharacteristically kind.

The group finished up their preparations, Techno silently helping Tommy up onto the horse with Niki. Although Phil, a bird hybrid, could have flown instead of riding, he had decided to conserve his energy. 

The group started their journey, Phil in the front, followed by Wilbur, then Niki and Tommy. Schlatt and Minx rode behind them, carrying a silent conversation while Technoblade, a strong pig hybrid, brought up the back.

_ ‘You ready?’ _

_ ‘Not for anything,’  _ Minx replied,  _ ‘but, that’s all part of the plan.’ _

Schlatt sighed,  _ ‘Just go with the flow.’ _

_ ‘Just go with the flow.’ _


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey yall, i’ve kinda been stuck in a rut for this story, but i’m hoping to get back into things after this chapter!! i’ve got another au in the works, so i hope to be posting that soon. also!! thanks for 1k hits, it means a lot <3

The group had been traveling for roughly three days, trading off watch times and sleeping in abandoned buildings when the sun sunk below the horizon. Techno was tired, completely exhausted in the way only being around people could make him. He was utterly drained socially, more than usual, as he sat on the concrete patio of the house the rest of the group were currently asleep in.

The knives strapped to him felt heavier than ever as Techno shifted against the wall. The moon had risen high in the sky as he detangled his hair slowly, taking out the long braid that trailed down his back. He ran calloused hands through his hair and relaxed a bit, taking a few deep breaths in order to collect his thoughts. Just as the tall man stretched out his legs, the door to his left opened slowly.

A tiny blond head peaked out of the door, “Blade?” 

“Yeah?”

Tired blue eyes met Techno’s ruby red ones, “Can’t fall asleep, you’re the only one up.” Tommy rubbed his eyes, walking over to the pink-haired man and plopping himself down next to him. Leaning into the older, he asked, “Can you tell me a story? Please?”

Pushing aside his nerves over a severe lack of experience with children, Techno nodded. After a moment, he began to speak, “Once, there was a little boy who was strong and smart and very brave.”

“What was his name?” Tommy asked, eyes bright as he climbed into Techno’s lap.

“Uh, let’s call him Tommy,” he responded, just as Phil used to do for him and Wilbur. “Now, Tommy was the prince of a very big kingdom, and in order to be the king when he got older, he had to go on a quest.”

“Did he fight monsters on the quest?” Tommy asked with a yawn as he curled up against Techno’s chest.

“Oh yeah, lot’s of ‘em.”

…

The sun rose as normal only mere hours after Techno had finished his story, causing Niki to join both the pink-haired man and her son out on the front porch. Techno had been wary of her at first, knowing of the reputation that proceeded the small blonde woman. As much as he trusted his brother, he wouldn’t put it past Wilbur to trust someone solely because he knew them from before. Wilbur was smart, but he had his moments.

But, as time would prove even further, Niki was just as kindhearted as Techno remembered. Although he himself didn’t express it all that much, the man knew that one could be both kind and terrifyingly powerful. That is why he had so much respect for Niki, who went out of her way to bring breakfast out for the three of them to enjoy together. She had been more than willing to share the granola bars and nut mixes that she and Tommy had collected, putting a rare smile on Techno’s face.

Techno didn’t know if she remembered him, and if that was why she had been so open with him, or if that was just the woman’s natural personality. Before, Techno talked even less than he did in the present day. Niki would have remembered him as Wilbur’s quiet twin; some may have even called him a shadow of his brother. He wasn’t, and he knew it.

After the world went to shit, Techno was one of the minority of humans to have their bodies morph into one that wasn’t fully human. Some hybrid traits were easier to hide than others, but many once-humans were abandoned due to fear of the unknown. Techno remembered how his hair had changed from it’s normal brown to an almost pastel pink shade. His ears had toughened and grown out and his bottom teeth elongated into two tusks. Luckily, Wilbur and Phil had taken the new developments in stride, accepting them as fact and moving on.

Niki smiled softly as Tommy began to stir in Techno’s lap, waking up after a few hours of deep sleep, “Good morning, sleepyhead.”

“G’morning,” Tommy replied sleepily.

“We’ll have to get back on the road soon,” Techno said, “the sooner we leave, the faster we’ll get to a settlement.”

“He’s right,” Niki agreed, climbing to her feet. “C’mon Tommy, let’s go get the others.”


End file.
